Sights in ancient Greece and Athens, especially, take on a larger importance than in most other places in the world. They are histories of democracy, Western civilization and philosophy firsthand. You can't help but walk around the Parthenon and the rest of the Acropolis and dream about the great ones who have come before you and whose footsteps you're in.
Athens is a must-see on any European tour. The ancient and modern merge in this city in ways that are fascinating and sometimes overwhelming. Pollution wreathes the golden stones of the Acropolis and obscures views of the Saronic Gulf. Cars bleat and belch among ranks of concrete high-rises. But then you turn down a cobbled lane and discover vine-swathed tavernas, tortoises trundling through ancient ruins, and bazaars teeming with dusty treasures. Or perhaps you will encounter a sleek cafe, art gallery or an outdoor cinema that serves ouzo under the stars. Greece's capital has been reinventing itself; the results could not be more charming.
The metro routes are extensive, and the stations dazzle with marble and antiquities. Congested downtown streets have been turned into pedestrian walkways, greatly reducing Athens' notorious smog and noise. Hotels, museums and archaeological sites have been revamped. Gentrified districts—such as Gazi and Psiri—host cafes, clubs and chic restaurants, which even boast smoke-free sections.
Greeks are proud of their Olympic history, their renovated capital city and—most of all—their proven ability to surmount obstacles with flying colors. Athens should remain firmly on the travel map, prized for both its ancient charms and its modern makeover.
Sights—The Acropolis; the ancient Agora (marketplace); the Temple of Olympian Zeus; the changing of the evzone guards outside Parliament in Syntagma Square; Lykavittos Hill; a day trip to Cape Sounion for the sunset; if you have time, a one-day cruise around the Saronic Islands.
Museums—The Acropolis Museum; the Agora Museum; the Benaki Museum; the Museum of Cycladic and Ancient Greek Art; The National Archaeological Museum.
Memorable Meals—The spectacular view of the Acropolis and the creative cuisine at Orizontes Lykavittou; the mind-boggling variety of traditional Greek dishes served at Eleas Gi; bustling brunch in Psiri; rooftop dining in Thissio; the revival of ancient Greek cuisine at Arheon Gevseis; award-winning seafood specialties at Varoulko.
Late Night—Rembetiko music at Stoa Athanaton; outdoor cinemas during summer; Greek and international jazz and blues at Half Note Jazz Club; live-rock acts at the Gagarin 205 club; bars and clubs in the Psiri neighborhood; open-air summer dance clubs by the sea; a Hellenic Festival performance in the ancient Odeon of Herod Atticus.
Walks—Through the Plaka (Old Athens) and the flea market in the Monastiraki area; along the traffic-free "archaeological promenade" Apostolou Pavlou in Thissio.
Especially for Kids—The virtual-reality presentations at the Hellenic Cosmos; the bird collection at the Attica Zoological Park; the Hellenic Children's Museum in the Plaka; the excellent beach clubs in the southern suburb of Vouliagmeni.
Athens sits in a basin in southeastern Greece, closed in by the mountains of Pendeli, Parnitha, Imitos and Egaleo and opening toward the Saronic Gulf to the west.
The Acropolis remains the city's massive, gracious centerpiece. The Plaka area, or Old Athens, lies directly below, and its labyrinth of walkways acts almost as a shield, protecting the sacred hill from the modern city. At the outskirts of the Plaka, to the northeast, is Syntagma Square. The city's business center—with its offices, stores and hotels—begins there as one corner of the commercial triangle (the downtown pedestrian zone). The other two corners of the triangle are roughly Omonia Square and Monastiraki Square (site of the famous flea market). Ermou Street, the "base" of the triangle, is one of the city's main shopping concourses.
Most of the major archaeological sites and museums are within a 2.5-mi/4-km radius of Syntagma Square. The neighborhoods of Psiri, Thissio and Gazi to the north of the Acropolis have been transformed into trendy entertainment areas with traditional tavernas, elegant gourmet restaurants, fashionable nightspots and art galleries. Farther north along Kifissias Avenue are the upper-class residential suburbs and upscale commercial areas such as Psychico, Filothei, Maroussi, Kifissia and Ekali—favorite locations for foreign embassies, consulates and companies, and for schools and colleges.
The city extends southwest to the coast, encompassing the sprawling port of Piraeus, and to its south, the upper-class coastal suburbs and beaches of Faliro, Kalamaki, Glyfada, Voula and Vouliagmeni. Just off this coast, 30 minutes to two hours away by ferry or hovercraft, are the nearby islands of the Saronic Gulf: Aegina, Poros, Hydra and Spetses.
The Athens Olympic Sports Complex, at the Irini metro stop, was the main site for the 2004 Olympic Games. Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava redesigned the stadium, which continues to host cultural and sporting events.
Once a fortified village entirely contained atop the Acropolis, Athens grew into one of the most powerful city-states in the ancient world. As a successful trading city with its own port, it became Greece's leading metropolis. The fifth century BC ushered in Athens' Golden Age, the classical period that has had such a profound effect on the development of Western thought. The city's government evolved into the world's first democracy. Its leaders rebuilt the city's monuments in marble—the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, the Odeon. Socrates and then Plato shaped the world of philosophy. Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes wrote their seminal dramatic works and saw them performed.
Athens' Golden Age was influential but short-lived. The Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC) against rival Sparta was disastrous. Soon, the powerful Greek city-states fell apart and into the hands of Philip of Macedon, then to his son Alexander the Great. The three centuries following Alexander the Great's death are known as the Hellenistic period, when the arts, literature and science flourished. The Roman Empire took control in 146 BC, but Athens was highly respected and was treated well. Integration into the Byzantine Empire was more radical. Venetians ruled in the 13th century, and the Turks took over in 1453, holding power in Greece until the 19th century.
Greece became an independent country in 1829, and Athens was named the capital in 1833. It was the seat of monarchies and democracies and the scene of uprisings and civil war in the 20th century, as the country struggled to join the ranks of developing nations. Since the country's bid for economic and political stability, the city has become a popular destination, both for its historic sites and its proximity to the Greek islands.
The first modern Olympic Games, held in Athens in 1896, saw 14 nations competing. All 245 athletes were male.
Greece is one of only two countries to have competed in every modern Olympic Games. The other is Australia.
There are more Greek speakers in Melbourne, Australia, than in any city outside Athens and Thessaloniki.
The ubiquitous tomato was only introduced to Greece, in Athens, in 1818.
Greeks drink more whisky per capita than any other nation in the world.